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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · lie · mouse · racket · tear · bulb · cabinet · mate

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. tear — from crying
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com